Apparatus for producing gas



(N6 Model.) w G. BILLINGS. APPRATUS PR PRODUGING GAS. No. 292,622. Patented Jan, 29, 1884.

ab. Aff

` nv PETERS. www WMM-c.

, Unirse Si ATES Parent* @rr-ice.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCiNG GAS.

iSPECIFILJAJFIOLI forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,622, dated January 29, 1884.

Application filed Muy ll, IFFJ.

,To all whom, '116 71u07/ conoci-1L.-

Be it known that l, (iconen W. luaaxos, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im provcnients in Apparatus 'for lrodueing Gas; and I do hereby declare the 'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the saine, reference being had to -1-,heaceompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which 'form a part of this specication,

My invention relates to an apparatus :for producing` illuminating and heating gas, the object being to provide a device-of this character which shall combine simplicity of construction and ease of operation with durability and efficiency in use, and which shall be adapted to produce a gas practically non-condensable inivirtue of the extreme tcnuity to which the hydrocarbon is reduced.

With this object in view my invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will' be hereinafter dcscribed, and pointed out in the claim. i

In the drawings, Figurel is a vicwin side clevation of a gas-producing apparatus constructed in accordance with mytinvcntion. Fig. 2 is aview in vertical longitudiiiial section of the atomizing-eylinder.

A represents a metallic cylinder, of any desired size and construction, and preferably made of galvanized iron. lt is closed at cach end by dome-shaped heads C, the inner peripheral edges of which are provided with annular grooves D, which receive the. ends of the cylinder aforesaid. rlhe union between the heads and the ends of the cylinder is made air-tight by packing the grooves a with sheetlead and with a thin layer of any suitable fibrous material previously saturated with common soap, such packing' being represented in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The said heads are centrally perforated, as at E, to receive the ends of a rod, F, which extends through the center of they. cylinder, the heads being held inposition by nuts G-,fwhich are screwed y on the projecting ends ofthe rod. The cylinderischargedwith'liquidhydrocarbon through the charging-pipes H,which are provided with caps I. It is also provided wit-lr a gas-pipe,

.'l', io convey the gas vprmluced to the gas-chainber l, which may be located at any desired distance fromv it. lhc said cylinder is packed with. a densely-comprcsscd mass of any suitable iibrous maicrial-a .material being chosen which is capable of absorbing u great quantity of liquid hydrocarbon.

In packing the cylinder one of (he heads (i is placed in position over one end thereof. rIhc rod F is then introduced into the cylinder and passed through the head placed in position, as described, that end of the rod projecting from the open end of the cylinder being supported by a narrow block of wood or iron, which is perforated to receive it. The head C, al ready adjusted over one end of the cylinder, is now drawn into tight engagement with it by a nut, which is screwed onto the end of the rod proiccting through the saidy block. '.lhe cylinder is now packed with iibrons material, which is introduced into the open end thereof, such. material being packed to form a dense mass. After the operation of ywicking; the cylinder is concluded, the block is removed, and the other l lead is placed overthe open end of the cylii'idcr. '.lhc nuts (l, secured to the projecting ends of the rod, are now manipulated to draw thc heads into an engagement with the cylinder, which will enable it to withstand thc pressure of the air which is il'orced into'it.

'When the cylinder is packed and scaled, as hereinabove set forth, the caps I are removed, and a quantity of liquid hydrocarbon equiva-` lent to about half thc capacity of the cylinder is introduced into it. After this has been done, the caps I are restored to the pipes H and tightly screwed down upon them. In virtue of the porous nature of the packing Within the cylinder, and also in virtue of the conipression to which it is subjected during packing, the liquid hydrocarbon will be distributed by capillary action throughout the whole mass of packing in the cylinder. Then air under pressure is introduced into the cylinder through an aperture, L, in one of the heads C, or other suitable'pointof inlet located near the bottom of the cylinder, it will, in forcing its way through the saturated packing, atomize and take up a small quantity of the hydrocarbon, the passage ofthe vaporizcd or atomized hydrocarbon through the whole mass of IOO ' ner tube, the

packing operating to break up the atoms ol' liquid and reduce them to a state of extreme attenuation, t e gas produced being one in which a greatly-pedominating percentage of air is physically mixed with a small percentage of hydrocarboi It is by virtue of the extremely-fine division of the particles of hydrocarbon that the gas produced in my apparatus is practically noncondensable, or, in other words, non-condensable under the temperatures and pressures to which illuminating-gas is ordinarily subjected. As the quantity of hydrocarbon mingled with a given quantity ol' air is very small, a single charge of hydrocarbon will suiiiee to produce a large volume ot' gas. \Vhen one charge of hydrocarbon has been exhausted, the cylinder is readily recharged.

I am aware that the open ends ot' cylinders have been closed by heads secured in place by one or more rods unit-ing said heads and extending through the cylinders.

I am lalso aware that an apparatus for charging air with the Vapor of hydrocarbon has been made by combining an outer and an inilormer being filled with brous material saturated with hydrocarbon and iitted to have air admitted into it, and the lati ter being perforated to receive the charged air, i and arranged to hold the heads which close the open ends of the outer tube in place. My invention is distinguished from those above referred to in consisting in a particular organization oi' parts, embracing a cylinder, removable heads therefor, a rod to hold the heads in place, a packing of fibrous material, pipes to introduce hydrocarbon into the cylinder, and ingress and egress ports for air and gas, arranged so that the whole length of the cylinder and the thickness of the packing is traversed by the air in making a transit through the apparatus.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

In an apparatus for producing gas, the combination, with the described atomizing-cylinder, of removable heads therefor, a rod extending through the cylinder to hold the heads in place, a homogeneous body of compressed iibrous material filling the cylinder, pipes for the introduction of oil thereinto, and ports for the ingress of air and the egress of gas, respectively located on opposite sides and ends of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day oi' May, '1.882.

(lORlli NV. BILLINGS.

lWitnesses:

.T. E. lxsuix. W. (Mmmm). 

